Dropper assembly



June 3, 1958 P. A. MARCHANT DROPPER ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 1, 1956INVENTOR.

iu/ A. Mara/7am BY C jr/om/ United States Patent DROPPER ASSEMBLY Thisinvention relates to droppers for liquid containers ind refers moreparticularly to a dropper engaged with he cap of the container which issealed when the cap is :crewed on the container or otherwise fixedthereon.

. Anobject of theinvention is to provide a container cap lropperassembly comprising a pipette, a resilient bulb 1nd thecontainer capwherein the bulb and container are Joth sealed when the cap is fixed onthe. top of the con- :amer. i

Another object of the invention is to provide such a liquid containercap dropper assembly having an exceedlngly simple construction whichpermits the molding, of all the parts from suitable materials and whichis easily and swiftly assembleable.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a liquid containercap dropper assembly having an extremely durable constructionwhich makespossible a .long life therefor despite heavy andcontinued use;

Another object of the invention is to provide such a liquid containercap dropper assembly which will permit the construction of all parts ofthe assembly of materials which will not deteriorate under chemicalaction of varied container contents, the use of these materials notsacrificing the functional'advantages provided by the unique dropperassembly construction. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide aliquid,

container cap dropper assembly which can be employed in combination with'apipette and cap to hold a sealed charge within the assembly relativeto the container liquids indefinitely for mixture withthe containercontents 2 heavier, less resilient interengaging section of the pipetteabove the flange. Such thickening causes an increase in the outerdiameter of the pipette above flange 14 to avoid any decrease of thediameter of the pipette bore. Circumferential bead 17, preferablysubstantially triangular in cross section, is formed on thethickenedportion 16 above the flange. The pipette is preferably made ofa somewhat resilient, yet dimensionally stable material, such aspolyethylene, as it is necessarythat the thickened engaging portion 16of the pipette be slightly compressed in the interengagement of theparts one with the other yet be resilient enough to attempt to return orspring back to its original outside diameter.

Referring now to the central member of Fig. 1, the cap of thedropperassembly, the cap is generally designated at 18 andcomprises atop wall 19 having depending side walls 20. The side walls 20 arepreferably interiorly threaded as at 21. Cap top wall 19 has hole,opening or orifice 22 therein having tapered upper edge 23 to facilitatethe insertion of the bulb lower edge and the lower edge thereof formedinwardly so at 24 to provide a ledge of greater inner diameter than theinner diameter of the opening 22 in the cap top. The inner surface ofthe'cap top is also recessed as at 25 to form a well to receive thepipette flange 14 when the pipette thickened upper end 16 extendsthrough the opening 22 and thus the ledge 24 lies within the recess 25.The internal diameter of the well 25 is preferably substantially equalto the outer diameter of the flange 14 and is preferably also of a depthsubstantially equal to the thickness of the flange 14 whereby when theflange 14 is positioned within the well, the thickened portion 16 of thepipette extends centrally through the 'opening 22. The diameter of thehole 22 in the cap is greater than the outer diameter of any part of 7tends outwardly circumferentially from the side wall when the containeris opened for use, this feature is provided by the unique inter-engagingsealing structure of the pipette, bulb and container cap comprising theassembly.

Other and further. objects of the invention will appear in the course ofthe following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and, are,to be read in conjunction therewith, an embodiment of the invention isshown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed toindicatelike parts. I a

Fig. "1 is an explodedcross-sectional view showing the three parts ofthe dropper assembly disassembled and spaced relative one another priorto, assembly, all of the parts being shown sectionally.

Fig. 2 is a side view'with parts cut away and in section to illustratethe interengagement of the three parts of the assembly shown separate inFig. 1 when assembled.

Referring to Fig. l, and especially to the lower element therein, at 10is generally designated the wall of the drop- Pipette 10 has a lowerdischarge per assembly pipette.

end 11 having discharge orifice 12 extending therethrough pipetteextends above the flange 14 and preferably .Ei's' thickened above theflange as shown at 16 to provide a 14 extends circumferentiallyoutwardly' thereof. The lower edge of the flange is preferably ofgreater outer diameter than that ofthe upper edge to minimize thenecessary total size of the bulb flange.- The outer diameter of thelower edge of the bulb flange is greater than the diameter of theopening 22 in the cap top 18 whereby the undersurface of flange 29 abutsthe top surface of cap 18. The engaging portion of the bulb below theflange 29 is designated at 30 and is preferably slightly thickened toafford greater rigidity than the bulb wall above the flange which is tobe squeezed to expel liquid from the dropper assembly. The outerdiameter of bulb portion, 30 is slightly greater than the diameter ofthe cap top opening 22 wherebyit will beput under corncent thelower endthereof and preferably opposite flange 29. "The inside surface of'thebottom edge of the bulb 30 is preferably" slightly tapered to receivetheu'pper engaging end 16 of the pipette. The bulb may be formed of likematerial as the pipette to-deforrn under applied force yet tend toreturn-to its original'shape. I

The length of the lower end 30 of-the bulb below the bottom surface ofthe flange 29 ispreferably slightly I greater than the thickness-of thecap-top from its upper" surface to. the. inner surface of the well 25. 1The distance from .the lowe'r' edge 'of the groove .31 in the insidesurface of thelbulb 26 tojthe lower edgeofxtheybulbis also preferablyslightly greater than the distance from the underside of the bead 17 onthe pipette 1t) Patented June 3, 1958 thereabove, the outer diameter ofthe flange being h.n...thc.-.b.ulb andpipette .are. forced. together.so. that..-

the bead 17 engages the groove 31, the bottornmost edge of the bulb 26is forced laterally into the groove 24:.onrthe;.underiedge;.of,.thecapperforation 22; This aids; ainathe rzsealing fit oft. the 1parts .-inaddition to the engagement-..,of the flange l l with. the bottomsurfaceA of .the.we1l:-25. and the lowensurface of.- the bulb, flange29-withthe,.top .surface. of.the.cap 18.' The distance betweentheuppersurface of the pipette flange 14 and thenlowersurfaee.of the.v bulbflange. 29, when the partsxare.interengaged, .is. preferably.essentially equal to :the distance frcmythe surface. of .thewell 25. inthe: captop. to .the;top,.surface.. of the cap top. itself. As.-

previouslynnoted; sincethe bulb-.26oitself-inits lowermostportionfioisofa greater outerdiameter than the inner diameter of the opening 22,.when'the bulb portion 30.is for ced withinthe openingZZ the-lower endof; the bulb..is;-placed-under, compression. The inner diameter of thebulb.,portion 3!).is also formed to be of a. lesser inner diameter, evenwhen not engaged by the cap top, than the outer. diameter of thethickened pipette portion 16, both in the-bead portion 17 and theportion thereof below: the bead above the flange 14. The upper end.

161 of the, pipette is not only putinto compression when: the pipetteandthe bulb are interengaged by the bulb itself, but also additionallyby the compression exerted :on the. bulb lower end 30 by the cap. Thus,

a completersealingfit; is afforded. by the abutmentiof thebulb flange..29 withthe top surface of the topofthe cap, the abutmentof the pipetteflange14 withthe surface of the well 25, thelateral forcing of the lowerend ofthe bulb 30 intoqthegroove 24 and the compression.

of the cap on the outer surface of the bulb and the inner surface of;the. bulb upon the outer surface. of the pipette.

The cap itself preferably isnof a greater rigidity than the upperportion of the pipette and the lower portion.

of the bulb whereby the bulb and pipette will be compressed and anydistortion of form will take place in these .two members rather than thecap.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that this invention. is one welladapted, to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set. forth;together with other advantages which are obvious and -I which. arevinherent to. the

structure;

It willbeunderstood that certainfeatures and sub,- combinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to otherfeatures andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is withinthe scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof,..it

is to be understoodthat all matter hereinabove set forthv or shown inthe accompanying drawings isto be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

Having .thusdescribedmy invention. .1 claim;

A 1. A; cap dropper assembly comprisinga pipette having, a. lowerdischarge; endand, an upper engaging end, a flange extendingcircumferentially outwardly;

from theouter surfaceof: the pipette adjacent but below the upper endthereof, engaging means adjacent the upperend of the pipette ontheoutside surface thereof i above the flange, a: cap" comprising attop: having a depending circumferential container engaging rim,. a holein. the, top. of the cap. said hole engageablehby the upper. end of thepipette above the flange, the internal diameter of the holegreater thanthe outerdiameter of the pipette above the flange, the flangeonthe'pipette 1 having ;a greater diameter than the internal diameter;of the; hole.-in .the top, a squeeze bulb havinga closed upper end andanopen-lower end,.-.the.bulb ,lower end; of ang-ninternal; diametersufficient vrelativetythe pipette to perm-it engagement; of. :the .topof the pipette above-.1 the flange;..by--the...bulb, a radial flangeonathe-outeesurface ::Of "the bulb adjacent the lower end'thereof butgreater than -the--inner diameter-of the --caphole; and-- engaging meanson the inner surface of the bulb coperable with the pipette engagingmeans to couple one with the other whereby the bulb flange. and thepipete flange will be positioned;.on opposite surfaces of the cap.

2. A dropper assembly as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of thetcap topis .less, than, the extension of; the pipetterabovetthe ,pipetteflange...

3. A dropper as in claim 1 including a recesst'in the insidesurfaceofthetop ofthe. cap circumferential to the hole therein wherebyto receive the pipette flange.

4. A dropper as 1-.in-claim.3'wherein .the.recess is substantially thesame diameter as the pipette flange.

5. A dropper as in'clairn 3 wherein the recess is substantially thedepth ofithethickness of the pipette flange.

6. A dropper as. in. claim 1 including a recess in-theinside surface ofthe top 1 of the cap' circumferential to the hole therein, the thicknessof the recessed portion of the top-being: less than the extensionof-thepipette above the pipette-flange.

7. Adropper assembly as inclaim 1 including'a recess-- in the insidesurface of the-cap top circumferential to the hole therein on the insidesurface thereof, the extension of the lower edge-ofthe bulb-below thebulb flangebeing greater than the thickness of the cap top in"thezrecessed area and also greater-than the distance be. tween the bulbflange and pipetteflan'ges when the. bulb and pipette are engagedwhereby the bulbedge willbe forced laterally into therecesswhen'thebulbrand pipette are .engaged relative the cap.

8 Ajdropper assemblyas in claim 1 including a recess in the insidesurface of the top-cap circumferential to the hole thereinwhereby toreceive the flange, a -recessin the recessed area'circurnferentialto thehole inthe top cap, the lower edge of'the bulb-below the bulbfiangebeingofi greates -length than the thickness ofthe cap in i thearea including the two recesses and longer than the distance betweenthe'bulb flange and the pipette flange when the bulb and pipette areengaged whereby the lower edgeofthe-bulb is forced laterally-into therecess when thebulb and pipette are engaged. 9. Adropper as in claim 1wherein the engaging means comprises a raised bead extendingcircumferentially aroundthe pipette adjacent the upper end thereof andabove-the-flange andia-circumferential groove on the interior surfaceofv the bulb adjacent the lower end thereof.

10. A dropperas in-claim 9 "wherein the'groovein the bulb is oppositethe flange-therein.

11. A dropper as in claim 9 wherein the thickness of the-cap top is lessthan the height of the pipette above theflange thereof 12. Afdropperasinclaim 9 wherein the height of the pipette above the flange thereof isgreater than the thick-.

15. A dropper as in claim 13 including aflange in the inside surface ofthe top cap adjacentthehole therein.

to receive ,.a portion v.of the bulb lower edge therein and a recessfcircumferentialto. this;first. named recess to i receive the pipette:flanger References Cit d in the file 'ofthis patent UNITEDSTATES-:JATENFFS- 1988;852 Miller tamzz. 1935

